Cable-stripping machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5. JACOBSON CABLE STRIPPING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1923 Sept. 22, 1925.

' JNVENMR SAMUEL mcaasam Sept. 22, 1925.

' S. JACQBSON (mam STRIPPING mgcnma Filed March 2a, @935 INVENTOR SAIVUEZ jamasom 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO :wi w

Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT QTF FI CE.

CA BLE-E5TRIEP-ING MACHINE.

Application filed March 28, 1923. Serial No. 628,393.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL JAooBsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cable-Stripping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for removing telephone cable from its sheath.

\Vhen cable of the character referred to has s er'ved its period of usefulness, the materialsthe'rein ris salvaged by removing the cable from its sheathand melting the different metals into ingots for repetitive use. As the cable is firmly packed in the sheath, the problem of economically removing it therefrom has always "been pressing. It is the ob'j'ect of the present invention to provide a simple and efficient machine which is positive in operation and which may be employed to rapidly remove the sheath from cable.

carrying *outthis object, I provide a pair of gripping devices which are guided for movement in opposite directions "and to which cable may be fed after the sheath thereof lias been severed at the center. The devices mentioned are operable to grip the ends of the sheath and to travel in opposite directions to strip the same from the cable core.

One form' which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following de scription and illustrated 'by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine cmbodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical and transverse section view taken on line 44L of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan of the machine disclosing a length of cable therein with the sheath partially removed.

Fig. -6 is an enlarged fragmentaryview in plan of one of the she'ath' gripping jaws;

. Fig. 7 is a view ofthe same in end eleva tion disclosing its connection with the guide rail.

Referring more particularly to the, accompanying drawings, =10 indicates a frame of suitable construction and upon which a pair of horizontally disposed and aligned one of the rails 11.

guide rails 11 are secured. These rails extend longitudinally of the frame and terminate short of the center thereof to accommodate a clamping device 12. This device is mounted between the inner ends of the rails and comprises a stationary jaw 14secured to the frame and a clamping jaw 15 which is mounted in a guide 15 for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw.

The clamping fulcrum lever frame at 17 and which connects with the jaw may be operated by a clamping jaw'15 by a link 18.

This slide is mounted on the rail 11 for movement longitudinally thereof.

It is intended that the gripping devices be operated in unison and be reciprocated along the guide rails in opposite directions.

'To accomplish this, operating cables 26' are secured to and wound around a central drum 27 and le'd'o'ver sheaves 28, which are journalled one at each end of the frame. The

ends of the cables are'connected to the slides of the gripping devices.

The drum mentioned is journalled below the rails and is driven by a reversible motor 29 which drives the drum through a worm and gear reduction set 30. The motor is controlled by a controller 31.

It is obvious that when the drum is driven in a direction to wind up the cables 26, the

gripping devices will be drawn outwardly from the center of the frame along the guide rails 11. To return these devices to their normal position, a second pair of cables 32 is provided. These cables are wound on the drum and are led over sheaves33, which are journalled adjacent to the inner ends of the rails, and are connected to the extensions 23 of the links 22*. The cables 26 and 32 are oppositely wound on the drum. That is,

when the cables 26 are winding up onflthe "drum, the cables 32 are unwinding and vice 1 16, which is pivoted to the relatively stationary ones.

' I machine. turn the gripping devices versa. It is obvious that when the motor is driven in one direction, the drum will wind up the cables 26 and pull the gripping de vices outwardly from the center of the frame and when the motor is reversed, the drum will wind up the cables 32 to return the gripping devices to normal. position. The gripping devices automatically open and close due to their peculiar construction and to the manner in which they are connected to the operating cables. This is best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. hen pull is exerted on the slides it is imparted through operating links 24 to the extensions 23 of the links 22 and tends to swing the same to force the movable gripper jaws toward the Similarly, when pull is exerted on the cables 32, the extensions 23 of the links 22 are swung in the opposite direction to separate the gripper aws.

From the above it is obvious that at the beginning of the operative period of the cables 26, the gripper jaws are first closed to grip the sheath of a telephone cable inserted therein and then the gripping devices travel in opposite directions. When the gripping devices start to return to normal position the jaws are automatically opened for the reception of a second length of telephone cable.

The cable intended to be operated upon by the machine here disclosed, is constructed of a core formed of a considerable number of insulated copper wires. This core is tightly sheathed in a lead tube. However, the machine will operate upon cables of different constructions with equal efficiency.

In operation, assuming that the elements of the machine are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sheath of the length of cable to be operated upon is first severed at the center and is then placed lengthwise in the machine between the jaws of the clamping device 12 and the gripping devices. The motor is then started to rotate the drum to wind up the cables 26. When pull is exerted on these cables their first action is to close the gripper jaws to grip the sheath of the telephone cable. The gripping devices are then drawn along the rails in opposite directions to strip the halves of the sheath from the cable.

As soon as the stripping action has commenced, the operator swings the lever 16 to actuate the clamping device 12 to grip the core of the cable and hold it firmly while the sheath is being removed.

"When the sheath is removed from the core both of these elements are removed from the The motor is then reversed to reto normal position for a second operation. As described, the

"gripper jaws will automatically open when being returned to normal position.

From the foregoing it is obviousthat a comparatively simple machine has been pro vided which will operate efficiently to remove the sheath from cable.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it is understood that various changes in its construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a pair of aligned guide rails mounted longitudinally of the frame with their contiguous ends spaced apart, a gripping device mounted on each rail, each gripping device consisting of a guide slidably mounted on the rail and having a gripper jaw fixed thereon and a movable jaw connected to the guide for cooperation with the fixed jaw whereby a cable may be clamped in the gripping devices, slides mounted on the rails, said slides being disposed one adjacent the outer end of each gripping device, a link for each gripping device pivotally connected intermediate its ends tothe guide shoe and pivotally connected at one end to the movable jaw, a lever pivotally connected to the other end of said link and to the adjacent slide whereby movement of the slide relative to the gripping device will cause operation of the latter, a pair of sheaves for each rail, said sheaves being disposed in a vertical plane and mounted adj acent the ends of the rail, a winding drum carried by the frame at the center thereof, and cables wound around said winding drum and led over said sheaves at the outer ends of the rails and connected with said slides, other cables on said winding drum led over the sheaves at the inner ends of the rails and connected with said links, said drum upon rotation in one direction causing said cables to simultaneously close the jaws of each gripping device to grip the ends of the sheath of the cable and then moving said devices away from each other to strip the sheath from the cable, opposite rotation of the drum causing said gripping devices to release the cable and return to normal position.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a pair of aligned guide rails mounted longitudinally of the frame with their contiguous ends spaced apart, a gripping device mounted on each rail, each gripping device consisting of a guidevslidably mounted on the rail and having a gripper jaw fixed thereon and a movable jaw connected to the guide for cooperation with the fixed jaw whereby a cable may be clamped in the gripping devices, slides mounted on the rails, said slides being disposed one adiacent the outer end of each gripping device, a link for each gripping de vice pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the guide shoe and pivotally connected at one end to the movable jaw, a lever pivotally connected to the other end of said link and to the adjacent slide whereby movement of the slide relative to the gripping device Will cause operation of the latter, a pair of sheaves for each rail, said sheaves being disposed in a vertical plane and mounted adjacent the ends of the rail, a Winding drum carried by the frame at the center thereof, and cables Wound around said Winding drum and led over said sheaves at the outer ends of the rails and connected with said slides, other cables on said Winding drum led over the sheaves at the inner ends of the rails and connected With said links, said drum upon rotation in one direction causing said cables to simultaneously close the jaws of each gripping device to grip the ends of the sheath of the cable and then moving said devices away from each other to strip the sheath from the cable, opposite rotation of the drum causing said gripping devices to release the cable and return to norinal position and a clamping device disposed intermediate the inner ends of the guide rails and operable to grip the core of the cable and hold it stationary during the stripping operation.

SAMUEL JAOOBSON. 

